Hors - Procedural western walking simulator

defomort

You play a horseless cowboy who finds themselves alone in a windy desert valley. All that is left for you to do is limp your way forwards.

https://defomort.itch.io/hors

The current release is an Alpha and includes the main game loop of searching a random desert for shelter. Feel free to give it a try! This was originally made for The 7DRL Challenge and is in its second week of development so expect to run into weirdness. :)

MANDREWS

Awesome experience. I have one critique though. I think at least one hor should jump out from behind a cactus.

cybereality

Nice style.

fire7side

I walked around for a while, but nothing seemed to happen.

defomort

Thanks for playing!

@fire7side said: I walked around for a while, but nothing seemed to happen.

The game is in alpha and missing quite a bit of content. You will eventually come across a building you can enter either by following the sound of the piano or just wandering but I know at the moment it can be impossible to find. If it's any help, there will always be a well tile towards the center of the map and the Salon should be within viewing distance of there.

Once there are more unique tiles and models in the game it will be a lot easier to orient ones self. I'm currently working on the narrative elements that trigger when you interact with set pieces, and once that's working I'll be able to add more variety to the world.

I am hoping when it's done it's the kind of thing you play through in 5 - 20 minutes, maybe going back for a second look or to try something different.

defomort

Just posted an update that adds holes to fall into and scorpions to encounter.

https://defomort.itch.io/hors/devlog/131546/changelog-v005-holes

The scorpions don't animate or sting the player yet, just move towards you when encountered. They are rare, usually only about 6 - 12 per game. They have a tendency to fall into the holes so I'll be adding scorpion nests eventually for them to respawn in.

The plan is for stings to kill the player instantly but I may add the ability to treat the wound with aloe or desert mint if there is time.

Currently there is only one type of hole but I would like to make some less obvious cracks and fissures to slip into.

I've given myself until next Tuesday to have the beta release ready now that all of the mechanics I had planned are in. All that's left is to write item and scene descriptions, and focus on adding more variants and working out the kinks in what is there. There will also be an ending cutscene that shows off the Salon a little better and the items you've collected along your way, and a unique tale generated around them.

fire7side

That will definitely help it feel like a game.

SpinylGames

I read Dead Hors and I thought that I worry about some of the Game Developers here. Luckily it was not what I thought it was gonna be. You might want to spell it with an "e" on the end though.

ChimaereJade

I will wait a few weeks for more content but I allready like the style. It reminds me of some fun adventure-games 10 years ago! :)

defomort

Having had some time away I think using procgen for arranging the game world is holding it back a lot and causing lots of unnecessary problems. I've planned out a new way to build out the world that will have sections of procedurally placed props and hazards but the valley itself will be preset. I think this will also give me a chance to make the world prettier, and include some of the more complicated assets I had planned.

It's going to take some time to rebuild things but at least this way I can more easily lead the player to the narrative elements without needing quest markers.

@SpinylGames said: I read Dead Hors and I thought that I worry about some of the Game Developers here

I realized this the second someone else said the name aloud to me! :s I am renaming it HORS for the next update. At least this way if the title is misinterpreted it isn't negative.